


He Won't Hurt You...

by RichardGraysonPercyJackson



Series: The Forbidden Love of Nightwing and Deathstroke [33]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Brainwashing, Crying, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma, Rape/Non-con Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2020-01-13 09:27:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18466147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RichardGraysonPercyJackson/pseuds/RichardGraysonPercyJackson
Summary: I won't let him.THIRD AND FINAL PART OF "He Will Shatter You" TRILOGY!!!PLEASE THE WARNINGS





	He Won't Hurt You...

As the days slid by into weeks, Dick tried as hard as he could to fight Grant.

If not physically, then at least mentally.

He struggled to ignore the words Grant said as he was beating, torturing... _ raping _ Dick under the excuse of “destroying the brainwashing my father has tricked you into accepting”.

Every single day, every single blow, every single thrust was followed swiftly by the words 

‘he never loved you.’ 

‘it was a trick’

‘He’s playing you’

‘He’s only thinking of himself.’.

Dick held out as long as he could, because he refused to believe it. He and Slade had been married for a year. Slade wouldn’t hold up a trick that long. Surely he would have already come out and tried to force Dick along into Renegade…

Right?

Dick’s breaking point came when they were lying in bed together, Dick’s head turned away from Grant as he stared blankly at the wall, his mind drifting and not fully attached. He was trying to be careful. He was at the edge of the cliff. One wrong move and he’d fall. He’d lose his connection with reality.

He’d  _ believe  _ every fucking thing Grant said to him.

He’d let the brainwashing take over.

He shivered when he felt Grant move closer. He closed his eyes tightly, praying that Grant wouldn’t speak, because just the right words would be enough to topple Dick.

To make him fall.

“How many times,” Grant began softly, breath ghosting over Dick’s neck. “Has a contract taken precedence over you?”

Dick fell.

 

……………….

 

“This is  _ your _ fault!” Damian shouted, voice echoing around the cave and startling the bats.

Slade was unfazed, arms crossed over his chest. “You’ve informed me of such,” he said calmly. “Several times since I walked in the door two days ago.”

“And you never walked back out,” Damian snarled. “Why are you still here?”

“In case you haven’t noticed, my husband is missing,” Slade reminded him calmly. “And his tracker went offline. Which means whoever has him likely knows he’s my husband.”

“How does the correlate with the tracker?” Tim asked from where he was seated in the chair in front of the batcomputer.

“The tracker was in his wedding ring,” Slade repsopnded. “Something no one would suspect unless they knew where to look.”

“So Dick was taken as what?” Jason asked. “A hit on you?”

“Perhaps,” Slade replied. “Although there’s been absolutely no contact whatsoever since he was taken three weeks ago.”

“So it wasn’t a hit on you?”

“I would take a guess as to saying my ex-wife took him to protect him from me,” Slade replied. “But she’s dead.”

“Actually, that’s not a bad angle,” Tim chimed in. “The...taking him to protect him from you, I mean.”

“Explain.”

“What if someone took him because they think you’re manipulating him,” Tim suggested. “It’s got to be someone who knows he was Renegade for a short time. Someone who doesn’t realize you’ve started loving him and stopped wanting him as an apprentice.”

“Grant.”

“Who?”

“My son,” Slade replied. “Grant.”

“You have kids?” Jason asked.

“Three,” Slade answered. “I must admit, I was not...the best father to them. Grant always despised me for that. He knew Dick was my Renegade for a few weeks.”

“So we look at Grant first,” Tim guessed.

“Grant was having lunch with Dick the day he was taken,” Slade added. “I’ve already looked into him.”

“How far did you look into him?” Jason asked. “Cause if he’s anything like you, then he’s a damn good liar.”

Slade was silent for a moment. “I’ll track his phone,” he finally said. He turned to leave, only to freeze and look back. “I’m genuinely surprised Wayne doesn’t tag you all like dogs.”

 

………….

 

It was early morning. 

Grant had just gotten out of bed while Dick was still asleep. The acrobat hadn’t spoken in several days and looked blank behind the eyes. Like he wasn’t totally there. But Grant chalked that up to the result of his father’s brainwashing breaking.

He was in the kitchen, pouring a cup of coffee when he heard a knock at the door. Frowning, Grant walked over and once more cursed the fact that he hadn’t even thought to replace the door with one that had a peep hole.

Shaking his head, he pulled the door open and came face to face with the barrel of Deathstroke’s gun.

His eyes went wide and he took frantic steps back as the mercenary followed after him.

“Father,” Grant greeted, because what else was he supposed to do? “What are you doing here?”

“Where’s Dick?” Deathstroke snapped.

Grant was frozen. “I don’t know what you’re talking abou-”

He let out a cry when Deathstroke lowered the gun, shooting him in the leg and sending him to the ground.

“I won’t ask again, Grant,” Deathstroke snapped, towering over the youngr man. “Where. Is. Dick?”

Grant was gasping through the pain but he still managed to sneer up at Deathstroke. “I broke your brainwashing on him,” he snapped. “He will not be your Renegade.”

Deathstroke knelt down to grab Grant around the throat. “What the fuck did you do to him?”

Grant grinned.

 

………

 

Dick woke to the sound of a gunshot. The sound combined with the fact that he was currently lying on his back was enough to send him grumbling down into a blinding memory that seemed so fucking real.

His throat burned and even though he couldn’t hear anything other than the pounding rain, his own pleas, her whispered words, he  _ knew  _ he was screaming.

Somewhere outside of this hellish reality where he’d never escaped her. She’d killed Blockbuster and touched him and he couldn’t escape-

He was ripped back to himself by a warm hand on his cheek. This time, he  _ did  _ hear his screams and instantly began coughing and choking when he’d abruptly tried to stop.

Someone helped him sit up as he coughed out the spit he’d accidentally swallowed. Too tired from the overwhelming wash of memories and everything he’d been put through with Grant, Dick could do nothing more than slump against the figure beside him.

“Little bird?”

Dick flinched violently at the voice, peeling his eyes open to stare up at Slade. He should have been relieved. Thankful that Slade was there to save him, but instead Dick felt…

Nothing.

“Dick?” Slade said softly, stroking Dick’s hair - it had gotten long - out of his eyes. “Can yuo hear me?”

Dick could. He just didn’t want to reply. He closed his eyes, hoping Slade would get the hint that he didn’t want to talk.

He didn’t. “I know what Grant did to you,” Slade said quietly. “I’m so sorry I never-”

“Don’t act,” Dick rasped, eyes still closed. “I know you’re only using me, Slade.”

“What?” Slade asked softly, taking a seat on the edge of the bed, carefully wrapping Dick in a clean sheet before pulling the limp acrobat into his lap. “What are you talking about?”

“All of this,” Dick began, keeping his eyes closed. “Proposing, marrying me, pretending to love me. It was an act, right?” he peeled his eyes open and stared tiredly up at Slade. “You just wanted me as your Renegade, right? That’s why...when I told you I killed that man. When I shoved him off the roof. You were okay with it. Why you didn’t worry to much.”

“I didn’t worry because it would have bothered you more,” Slade said softly. “Richard, you know how brainwashing works. Don’t you?”

Dick was silent for a moment. “Yes,” he finally agreed.

“And have I done  _ anything  _ over the course of our relationship that even resembles brainwashing?”

Dick licked his dry lips, frowning. “N...no?” it was more of a question but it seemed like enough for Slade.

“And think of everything Grant has done to you,” he went on, keeping his voice low and gentle. “What does that resemble?”

Dick felt tears prick his eyes. “B-brainwashing?”

“Yes,” Slade responded. “I’m so sorry it took me so long to get here, little bird, but I’m here now, okay? Everything is going to be okay.”

Dick’s bottom lip wobbled and he leaned heavily into Slade as he began to cry, despite the uncomfortable armor. Slade stayed silent, gently rubbing Dick’s back until the acrobat had mostly calmed down.

“Are you ready to go home?”

Dick nodded miserably, wrapping weak arms around Slade’s neck and resting his head on the mercenary's shoulder as Slade lifted him up in a bridal carry.

“We’re going to take you to the hospital,” Slade told him. “You’re malnourished and dehydrated.”

“And my hands are broken,” Dick mumbled.

“Yes,” Slade said. “That as well.”

“Will you stay?” Dick asked, gazing up at Slade through wet eyelashes. “Please? At the hospital?”

“They can’t make me leave,” Slade told him, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of Dick’s head. “We’re married.”

“I don’t have the ring to prove it,” Dick said miserably, closing his eyes as a headache started up behind his eyes.

“We’ll get you a new one,” Slade determined. “If you want it, I mean.”

“What do you mean?”

“If you want a divorce-”

“No,” Dick said firmly, trying to tighten his grip on Slade without hurting his hands. “No, you’re mine. You’re not leaving.”

“Nothing short of death could make me leave you,” Slade said firmly, glad Dick had his eyes closed so he couldn’t see Grant’s corpse on the ground as they passed. “Even then, death won’t keep me down.”


End file.
